Harden

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈhɑɹdn̩/

Definitions

1. To change into a solid or firm state ; to cause a material or substance to become solid or firm ; to become tougher or more resistant emotionally or mentally ; to cause a person to become emotionally tougher or less sensitive
2. The process of turning from soft to hard or firm ; the act of making an object or material hard or solid ; developing a stronger emotional resilience or hardness ; inducing emotional strength or insensitivity in someone
3. When an item or substance stiffens or solidifies ; when something is made stronger or more rigid ; the growth of emotional strength or callousness ; the action of toughening someone's feelings or attitude

Etymology: Harden is about as plain as English verbs get: the adjective "hard" with the suffix "-en", which turns an adjective into a verb meaning "to make or become hard." The suffix is an old one, related to the "-en" in "sadden", "soften" and "widen", and the Middle English form "hardenen" was built the same way, from "hard" plus this ending. The adjective itself has deep roots. It traces back to a Proto-Germanic form, "harduz", which is also the ancestor of Old English "heard" and of the adjectives in the other Germanic languages. Those languages show the same pattern: Danish "hærdne", Swedish "hårdna" and Icelandic "harðna" all mean "to harden," which tells you the verb was a shared Northern European formation rather than a later English invention. The sense has also widened over time. Hardening first described physical solidity, as with clay, steel or mortar, and later took on the figurative sense of becoming emotionally resistant or unfeeling. Both uses grow from the same basic idea of moving from a yielding state to a firm one.

Synonyms: solidify, stiffen, set

Antonyms: soften, melt